Comments on: Polynesians in the Desert

By: Last Chance for Niblet Nominations at Mormon Matters

Last Chance for Niblet Nominations at Mormon Matters — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:59:57 +0000

[...] in Mormon History” (also nominated “The Childless Ones,” “A Utah War Primer,” “Polynesians in the Desert.”) Bored in Vernal “Populating Worlds: Joseph Smith’s Legacy” Bored in [...]

By: Best of the Week 6: Academic LDS : Mormon Metaphysics

Best of the Week 6: Academic LDS : Mormon Metaphysics — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 04:58:33 +0000

[...] Ardis had up an other post on the history of polynesians in the Utah region. [...]

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:18:15 +0000

When I took the senior seminar in history at BYU just over 30 years ago, one of other students wrote a short paper about Iosepa. Other than finding out that such a place existed (which thing I never had supposed), I don’t remmeber anything else about the paper, or the student who wrote it.

I’m sure that he doesn’t even remember the subject I wrote about either, so I guess we’re even.

As to the arguments against naturalization, I suspect that Ardis is right about underlying anti-Mormon motives. I don’t think the slave trade drove 19th century biases regarding immigration, naturalization or citizenship. It was just plain old garden-variety bigotry.

By: J. Stapley

J. Stapley — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:04:29 +0000

Ray, I would imagine that the immigration policy was a relic of the slave trade.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Iosepa received some awards for being a model city or something like that.

By: Ben

Ben — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:18:01 +0000

They are currently doing archeological work out at Iosepa. Someone came and presented on their findings as well as gave a common history of that settlement last summer–it was quite interesting.

By: Ray

Ray — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:46:19 +0000

“only white men and men of African descent were eligible” – Wow.

In a day of virulent racism, being Polynesian was ranked below “African” by the anti-Mormons, while the reverse was true within the Church itself. People really can justify whatever they want to justify.

By: Points of Interest #26 « Mind, Soul, and Body

Points of Interest #26 « Mind, Soul, and Body — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:23:35 +0000

[...] Keepapitchinin, Ardis Parshall shares the untold story of the Pacific Islander Mormon pioneers who left their island home to establish Zion in the [...]